Local racing notebook: Fans take in Acceleration Weekend

Published: Monday, February 11, 2013 at 05:41 PM.

They were treated to early racing stories from Johnson, NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian Buz McKim and NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley.

Johnson, whose Midnight Moon is now available in 48 states, talked about his family’s moonshining and some of racing’s earliest competitors.

“Glenn Dunaway (Gastonia native) was the one who won the first race NASCAR ever had,” Johnson said.

Dunaway, whose son Harold also was a racer, had his win disqualified due to modifications made to the car. Jim Roper was credited with the victory in NASCAR’s first ever Strictly Stock race which took place on June 19, 1949 at a dirt track called Charlotte Speedway.

The fourth class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame was inducted on Friday kicking off the second annual NASCAR Acceleration weekend in Charlotte. Fans were able get up close with drivers, check out many displays including those of tracks on the NASCAR circuit, and tour the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

On Saturday, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Johanna Long and Austin Dillon made up one panel of NASCAR drivers who signed autographs and talked about the upcoming season and the new car.

At the event, Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about his plans to go to New York City this week to appear on a couple of morning shows after being snowed out last week.

“It’s a big time of the year and it’s exciting promoting the sport, getting our cars ready, and testing our cars,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

“I think what NASCAR has done different is they’ve involved the teams on developing this car. It’s an aerodynamic package that the drivers like,” Hamlin said.

The drivers also expressed their interest in the Hall of Fame and its newest members, which include Leonard Wood, Rusty Wallace, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas and Buck Baker. Ken Squier and Barney Hall received the first media award honors at the ceremony.

“I think it’s great that the Hall of Fame is here in Charlotte. It’s really good seeing all of the heroes and all the guys I always looked up to who helped create the sport, get inducted and be recognized. And hear some great stories and get a glimpse of what their careers were like,” Earnhardt Jr. said.

“It’s the greatest thing that we have it here in Charlotte. And watching some of those videos last night, I’m looking forward to seeing the next ones,” Austin Dillon said.

“It’s really neat just to see the history of the sport, how everyone made the sport. It was really cool,” Johanna Long said.

Donald Milshap was on hand working at the show on Saturday. Originally from Alexander County, Milshap attended the first ever NASCAR race held at the old Charlotte Speedway located in west Charlotte.

“I worked for Chrysler back in the day, too. I used to drive a truckload of engines every week up to Randleman and the Petty Shops,” Milshap said.

Richard Heiston came down for the festivities from Seaford, Del. He said that he has gotten into NASCAR because of his 12-year-old son Joseph.

“We tried every sport with the kids and it’s been racing that has brought our family together. I was so impressed the first time I came down here to the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Heisten.

Harlow Reynolds attended the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and has followed the Wood Brothers for 55 years.

“It’s a great honor to come with the Wood Brothers now that Glen and Leonard are in the Hall of Fame. It’s just great. They really deserve it. I’m waitin’ for Rex White to come in behind them,” Reynolds said.

Crew member recalls special Wood Bros. memory

Virginia short-track king H.L. ‘Peanut’ Turman, a former pit crew member for the Wood Brothers, attended Friday’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and shared a special story.

“We won in Daytona in 1976 when Petty and Pearson wrecked on the last lap. I reckon I was on cloud nine and I was holdin’ one of the trophies,” said Turman, showing a picture from that day.

David Pearson won that Daytona 500, one of his Triple Crown victories that year, but the trophy Turman was holding supposedly disappeared after that.

“When they announced that Leonard was going to be inducted into this here Hall of Fame he goes over to his mom and dad’s old home place — his brother lives there, he’s a preacher — and he goes upstairs up in the attic and comes out with 17 trophies, from what I hear,” Turman said.

Turman was told that trophy he had held was in that bunch and was being cleaned.

“I called Bernece (Wood) and said ‘Don’t let that leave ‘til I get down there and get me a picture holdin’ that trophy.’”

“When I got there, Len (Wood) said, ‘Peanut, come here, I want to show you the trophy’ and he handed it to me and then said, ‘No, wait a minute,’ and we went back in the room where this picture was at hanging on the wall. And he gets me where he can get this picture with me holding the trophy,” Turman said.

First Shine and Sign with Junior Johnson

On Saturday, the hall’s first “Shine and Sign” was held where fans got to eat, sample various moonshine and get autographs from NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson.

They were treated to early racing stories from Johnson, NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian Buz McKim and NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director Winston Kelley.

Johnson, whose Midnight Moon is now available in 48 states, talked about his family’s moonshining and some of racing’s earliest competitors.

“Glenn Dunaway (Gastonia native) was the one who won the first race NASCAR ever had,” Johnson said.

Dunaway, whose son Harold also was a racer, had his win disqualified due to modifications made to the car. Jim Roper was credited with the victory in NASCAR’s first ever Strictly Stock race which took place on June 19, 1949 at a dirt track called Charlotte Speedway.

Junior Johnson’s son, Robert, currently a college student at Duke University, was glad to see the crowd and be at another Hall of Fame Ceremony.

“It’s a great event today. It’s great to see all these fans come out and be able to get some food and taste some moonshine,” Robert Johnson said. “I was here last night too for the induction ceremony. To forget the roots, the sport kind of would get lost. Rusty Wallace was saying some of that in his speech last night — that it’s important for the young drivers to respect the sport.”

Weekend Dirt Racing Results

Shane Clanton kicked off the 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series in memorable fashion, capturing Friday night’s 40-lap ‘Winter Freeze’ season opener at Screven Motor Speedway in Screven, Ga. Josh Richards, who was second on Friday, held off a furious late-race challenge from Clanton to win Saturday night’s 50-lap ‘Winter Freeze’ finale at Screven. It was Richards’ 40th career victory on the WoO LMS. Mooresville’s Kyle Strickler picked up a U.M.P.DirtCar modified win at Bubba Raceway Park on Saturday. Strickler’s teammate Nate Caruth was second and Nick Hoffman finished third. Strickler also set a track record with a fast lap time of 16.244. Defending World of Outlaws sprint car champion Donny Schatz swept the UNOH Circuit of Champions sprint races at Bubba Raceway Park over the weekend. Tim Schaffer was second and Tony Stewart was third on Saturday. Dale Blaney finished fourth in both feature races and won the Dash for the All Stars.